Has your computer been acting up? If you’re careless about opening email attachments, visiting shady websites, or even doing something as seemingly harmless as checking your mail via your favorite coffee shop’s free Wi-Fi, chances are you’ve become the latest hacking victim.
It’s a scary situation to be in. Still, you can do much to take back control of your accounts, internet safety, and digital life. Here are the steps to follow to identify and deal with the threat.
Look for Signs of an Attack
It’s not uncommon for legitimate updates to change the way programs behave or for slowdowns to happen when you’re running several of them simultaneously. That’s why the first step should be to make sure you were actually attacked.
Various signs can point to this. Subtler ones include slowdowns and faster battery drain if you’re on a laptop. New programs might start to run on boot-up, or you may experience random pop-ups and get redirected to suspicious sites while browsing. Ransomware and identity theft are among the most serious threats. The former can make crucial files inaccessible or even lock up the entire computer. The latter can wreak havoc with your finances and personal reputation.
Shut off Your Internet Connection
Most malware is designed to send information back to hackers or allow them remote access to your computer, which it can’t do if you disconnect from the internet. Pulling the Ethernet cable will do the trick, or you’ll need to disconnect from the network via the system tray if you’re using Wi-Fi.
Run a System-Wide Security Scan
The next step is to identify and eliminate any threats that have taken root in your system. Windows Defender is a competent safeguard, but it’s not infallible. Download the latest version of reputable antivirus and anti-malware on a clean device, transfer and install it onto the infected one, and run a deep scan. Delete all found threats and see if problems persist.
Secure Your Passwords
Hackers love stealing login credentials because of how useful they can be. Since we need so many accounts nowadays, it’s common to reuse passwords and make them convenient to remember rather than secure. That means even one compromised password puts several accounts at risk, especially if it’s the one to your main email account.
Using a password manager is the most straightforward and effective way of managing your credentials. It can easily assign complex, unique passwords for all your accounts and add an extra layer of verification using two-factor authentication.
Make sure to select a manager suitable for your operating system, too. For example, if you have a Macbook, make sure the password manager is for macOS and optimized for the OS. Most providers launch with all operating systems in mind. However, some versions perform better than others.
Monitor for Suspicious Activity
With immediate countermeasures in place, all you can do is keep a close eye on the computer and any associated accounts that could have been affected by the hack. Take note of any increase in spam or login attempt notifications. Have contacts notify you if they suddenly start receiving unusual messages from your email address or through other means.
Most importantly, contact each of the three credit report agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and space their reports out in four-month intervals to monitor for changes and unauthorized purchases.
Reduce the Risk of Future Attacks
If nothing else, suffering through a hack is a wake-up call; many people need to start taking their cybersecurity seriously. Luckily, a few small changes to your behavior and some knowledge go a long way.
Start by ensuring your computer’s operating system, threat detection, and all other software are up to date. That ensures all known vulnerabilities are patched. You’ll also want to back up your most important files, preferably to an offline drive, in case a future ransomware attack causes you to lose access.
In addition, review the information you share online, adjust privacy settings on social media, and minimize exposure of personal data that could be used against you. If you’ve been careless so far, look up ways to remove your data from Google or similar search engines, for example.
Finally, it’s a good idea to educate yourself on cybersecurity basics, such as recognizing and avoiding phishing attacks, so you don’t fall for such scams in the future.
